Address-printing machine.



C. CHISHOLM. ADDRESS PRINTING MACHINE. APPucAnou mso ocr. 2|. Isls.

Patented Nov. 26, 19H3'.`

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C. CHISHOLM.

ADDRESS PHINHNG MACHINE.

APPLICMION FILED OCT. 2l. 1916. 1,285,622.

Patented Nov. 26, 1918,

5 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

C. CHISHOLM.

ADDRESS PRINIING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 2l. 1916.

Patented Nov. 26, 1918 5 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

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c. cHlsHoLM. ADDRESS PRINUNG MACHINE.

APPLICATIQN FILED OCT. 21.1915.

Patented Nov. 26, 1918.

5 SHEETS--SHEEI 4.

C. CHISHULM.

ADDRESS PRINHNG MACHNE.

APPucATloN msn 0m21.191s.

mmm Nov. 26, 1918.

, UNITED STATES PATENT CFFTCE.

CLIEroN CHI-snOLM, OE CLEVELAND, OHIO, AssIGNon To PLANos'iY-LE COMPANY, or

CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION OE CALIFORNIA.

ADDEEss-IEINTING MACHINE."

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patent-Sea Nov. 2o, 191s.v

Application filed October 21, 19.16. Serial No. 1263292 To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, CLIFTON CHISHOLM,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and.

State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful improvement in Address-Printing Machines, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to the kind of address printing machines in and by which address plates, stored in one container, are automatically withdrawn therefrom, one lby one, and the addresses on said several plates caused to be printed on envelops kor the like which the` machine automatically withdraws from a suitable receptacle therefor.

rhe present invention has more particularly to do with the means by which address plat-es are loaded into the machine, and are automatically moved lthrough the machine So as to print their impressions on envelops which are being carried through the machine by other but synchronously acting mechanism, and are finally collected for removal from the machine. i y

And the invention consists in the combinations of parts by which those and other desired results are attained, as shown in the v accompanying drawing and hereinafter described and pointed cnt dei'nitelyvin the ap' ,pendedclaims p In the drawings, Figure V,1 is a side` ele"-` vation of a machinelof ,the character specified, in whichV the present invention is einbodied; Fig 2 is a plan view -Of the said machine; Fig. 3 is an end elevationI withv some parts broken away from the left end `of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a sectional side elevation of said machine; Fig. 5 is a sectional end View in the plane of line 5 5 on Fig, 4; Fig. 6 is a vertical section of a view in the plane of line 6 6 on Fig. 5; Fig. 7 isa longitudinal sectional view of a part of the 'main driving shaft and camcarrying brackets and through parts adj ac ent thereto.

10 represents a hopper adapted to con-*- tain a `stack of envelops E, which are placed therein, with their flaps down and pointed toward the left.

`Mechanism, which will be presently ide-- a scribed, withdraws the envelops, one by one,

from the bottom of the .stack inthe said hopper, and carries them into Aprinting rela-` tion with certain printing. plates P, and ,de--

livers them, after the addresses have heenk p y said block 21 through lwhich saidbeltsmayl printed thereomontoy a platform 30.

Bassum 20 represents a hopper in ywhich a stack of address plates P are placed, and lfrom vwhich they are withdrawn, one by one, from the bottom of the stack, by mechanism which carries them into printing relation with the envelops.

40 represents an address plate-drawer l into which said addressV plates areseverallydehvered directly they have been used for the above stated purpose. The plates P, be-

tween uses thereof, are stored or filed awayv in this drawer; which drawer likewise affords a convenient means for loading the plates which it contains into saidA plate hopper 20.

50 represents a rotatablev cylindrical platen on which the `envelope are carried,

after they are withdrawn from the hopper Y 10, int-o printing relation with the printing plates as the latter are being carried along i to and projects upward from'ia fixed block 21 that serves asthe bottomv ofthe hoppeinfl In the front and rear walls of the hopper]V r are the vertical slots 22 which are thereto permit the insertion intosaidhopper' fromf.' the top thereof of one .of the drawers LO con-. taining a stack ofaddress plates, each. of

said drawers having on each side thereof va longitudinal rib which'said slots accommodate as the drawer is moved into o rfrom- ,j

said hopper. Likewise there is a vertical slot 23 in the right side of this hopper which is there to permit the withdrawal of said drawer; and is necessarybecause otherwise the spring arm 46 could, not, be pulled out toy release the address plates and leave them in the hopper when the drawer is withdrawn, nor could the drawer be withdrawn while the spring arms remain in the'withioo drawing-position shown in Fig. 6 by dotted lines.

Two plate feeding belts .60,whichl may be,` l

suitable material, pass horizontally into said 'made of thin metal tape'or ofa'ny other',v

hopper just above the top of the bottom" block 21,'-there being slots 24 in the right wall of the hopper to permit the belt and the feed lugs 61 thereon to pass; and ,there f i being also a slot 25 whichy extends entirely -iio across the left wall of the hopper just above also pass, and through which they may drag the bottom address plate in the hopper.

' 'Theheight of this slot is such that only one Yfeeding lugs 6l.

addre's'siplate may at the same time, pass through it. Fixed to the outer face of each belt 60 at suitable intervals are the plate Each belt is preferably formed with suitably placed holes 62 which are to receive the sprocket teeth carried by the sprocket wheels 63, 64C, over which said belts run. The sprocket wheels 63 are fixed to an idling shaft 63a, but the sprocket wheels 64 are fixed to the main driving shaft and are driven thereby. On this shaft is a gear 7l that meshes with the gear 51 that is xed to the shaft of the rotary platen 50 whereby the latter may be driven.

The successive withdrawal of envelope E from the bottom of the stack within the hopper l0 is effected by two feed arms which are rotatable in unison with the platen 50 and are located one more or less closely adjacent` each end thereof. Coaxial with the gear 51C are two sleevesI 5G which are located adjacent opposite ends of the platen. These sleeves have a driving connection with the shaft, but are adjustable lengthwise thereof. Each feed arm is pivoted to one of these sleeves on an anis which is diametrical with respect to said shaft. @ne of the pivot pins 5'? goes through the sleeve into a longitudinal groove 5la of said shaft, there" producing a tongue and groove driving` c Liioction between the sleeve and Shaft. Each of these feed arms ext-ends on both sides of the shaft; and on each end of each arm an envelop engagingl finger 58 which pi jects from said arm toward the platen.. L i sleeve 56 not only embraces the shaft 5l but is rotatable within a hanger FEC., but nfs no independent endwise mov-einem; with respect to said hanger. An annular shouldei.' 56a on sleeve 56 engages one face of said hanger while a. nut 57 which screws onto said sleeve engages the other face of said hanger.

The two hangers S0 are suspended fromL and slidable upon a transverse fixed bar 81, and they are respectively connected with the two parts 12, 135, of the envelop hopper. These hangers may be moved transversely on said bar toward and from the platen for adjustment, and the two parts l2, 187 of the envelop hopper move with them, but they are clamped fixedlv to said bar in any desired position, when the machine in operation. Each of these hangers carries a. face cam 82 so shaped and placed that it will engage the adjacentfeed arin and as the sleeve 56 is rotated with the shaft 51 said cams will rock said. feed so as to carry toward one another those ends of said arms which are approaching the top of their nath: that is to say, are approaching the bottom of the envolp hopper. @briously, at the same time the other ends of said arms will more away frozn one another so as to release any envelop which they may have been engaging. These arms are of such length that as they are carried up under the envelop hoppery the fingers 58 thereon will go into the angular space between the lower envelop and its down hanging liap c7 and will engage the bend which connects the flap with the envelop. The continued rotation of these arms will, therefore, 'withdraw the lowest envelop to the right from the hopper, and carry it around with, and in substantial contact with the outer surface of the platen7 boneath the lower edge of a guard plate made. of flexible rubber,.-the function of this guard plate being to prevent the simultaneous withdrawal of nore than one envelop. A. fixed cover shield 52 adjacent to the platen helpsI to bend the envelop and hold it in substantial Contact with the surface of the platen. There is also a pressure roll which projects through slot in said shield and is spring-pressed against the en volop. llhis roll is mounted in the lower end of a swinging frame 54.1-, the said arms of which are pivoted at their upper ends to two brackets fastened to the right side of said shield; and this frame is under the influence of the spring which presses the roll against the envelop which is embracing the platen.

As an envelop is being dragged along y the arms 55 in Contact with the platen, its lower (front) face is brought into contact with the printing characters on the upper face of an address plate P which has been drawn from the bottoni of the stack of address plates in the hopper @th-the movement of the envelop and the printing plate being so timed by the described mechanism as to bring this about. The printing plate and the envelop are pressed into conta-ct as theyY pas@ together between the platen and the pressure roll which is located just below the platen and is fast to the shaft 70. The upper leg of each feed belt runs over a plurality of rollers 64 by which said feed belts are upheld, and are able to support the printing plate.

As each printing plate is moving from the hopper toward theV platen it passes under an inking roll 93 which lies directly over an idler roll 62 and is such distance therefrom that the printing roll will of necessity ink the characters on the upper side of the address plate. The inhino; roll is mounted in a swinging frame.r the side members 0f which are hun@ on the platen shaft and project to the right. therefrom, An inlr holding roll 91 is also mounted on said swinging frame., and so also is an ink distributing roll 92, which lies between and lit) 1 gas'geae l75 and are ro erl )ressed aeainst one an- 7 y r-z other so as to cause the address on the plate to be printed on the envelop. The shield plate 52 is cut away below the platen in its middle portion so that vthe address plates -may print the envelops through this opening, the sides of this shield plate however, remain and always support the end portions 0f the envelops, while they are being printed. The lower part 5;@ of this shield plate lies at the left of the platen and inclines downward as shown, the envelops after being printed on slide down this inclined continuation 52a of the shield plate until the envelop drops onto the envelop receiving platform 30, or more particularly onto the top envelop of the pile of envelops on said platform. The envelops as they slide down this inclined plate 52a slide between guide bars 16, which overlie plate 52a,'said `guide bars being connected respectively to the two hangers 80 so that they willalways be at the required distance apart, because when the hangers are moved lengthwise of the shaft as and for the purpose stated, these guide bars 16 will be similarly moved.

Each printing plate as it emerges from between the platen and the pressure roll 75 falls into a curvedA chute down which it'falls onto a rubber buffer plate 112, and between the'open end of a drawer 40 and a vibrating packer 113, by which said plates arepushed from rsaid buffer plate into said drawer. This packer is pivoted atvits lower edge on a transverse fixed pivot, and is actuated by a lever 114 which is pivoted to a fixture and is connected at its lower end to said packer. The upper end of said lever is connected to an eccentric strap 7 8 which .embraces an eccentric 79 on the driving shaft 70.

The plate holding drawer 40 is made of sheet metal bent to form two sides and a top as shown particularly in Fig. 5. Each of these drawers has two outwardly extended ribs 43 upon which the drawer is supported upon the fixed brackets 120, and in operative position to receive the address plates int-he manner before stated. Inwardly bent longitudinal ribs 41 are preferably formed lengthwise of this drawer, and they are intended to go into corresponding notches p in the sides of the address plates. Two other corresponding inwardly directed ribs 42 are provided'to go into two other notches p in the sides of the addressplates, so lthat said address plates will be vheld upright therein. ln the sides of the drawer are the bevelended spring detents 44 which prevent any backward movement of one of .the plates after the packer has pushed it past'the'de-v tent jaws.

.Extending part way across what is .the

righthand end of'this drawer when it is in the machine, va vplate retaining arm 46 projects, which arm is connected with along flat spring 45 fastened to the 'outer face of.

the topside of this drawer. This vis tovpreventthe plates from dropping out 'of this end of the drawer when the drawer `isiheld with-that end down as it mustbe when one loads the hopper 20. To load the hopper, the drawer filled with'plates isput vertically downward into thehopper, with thesaid right hand end 'thereof down. yWhen the plates are resting on the'bottom o'f the-hopper one takes hold of the knob-on thefouter face of vthe `spring 45 and draws it Ioutward, thereby withdrawin arm146 from beneath the address plates. hile it is int-his position the drawer is withdrawn vfrom the hopper and the plates are lefttherein. `The spring 45 which is then'extended outward from the drawer is movable lin the vertical slot 23 in the right sideof said hopper.

The envelop hopper 10 is'formed oftwo upright angle plates 12,13, each of which is connected'with atriangular bottom plate 14. This hopper occupies a position'aboverand to the left of and close to the platenr cylinder. But the two above mentioned parts 12 vand 13 of the envelophopper are adjustablet'oward and away/from each other, and toward andA awayfrom said-platen cylinder in` order that-the hopper may "hold envelops'ofrvarious sizes in proper relation tothe platen cylinder and to the means for successively withdrawing the'bottom envelop lfrom said hopper.

Each of these two members 12, 13, which comprise the envelop hopper `is slidably mounted on a rod 83 that is fixed to and eX- ten'ds horizontally to theleft from the associated hangers. These hopper members may be' moved along this rodto positions determined by the width of the envelop.

Now, when it hasbeen determined what length envelops arev to be addressedthe two hangers 80 are moved to what extent maybe necessary toward and away from each other. As they so move the front and rear members 12 and 13 of the yhopper are caused to move toward or from each other until they occupy a position such that the hopper is adapted to Ahold the envelops to vbe adm a proper position to coperate with'these particular envelops because thel 'sleeves which carry these feed arms and the cams which operate these feed arms are mounted on the hangers and move vwith them.

ln order that the envelop hopper members shall remain upright as they are adjusted, a rectangular frame is mounted to slide horizontally on the fixed framework of the machine. This frame includes side members 120, and two transverse members 121. A U- shaped bar 122 fixed to each hopper section extends to the left therefrom, and rests upon the two transverse bars 121.

The platform 30 upon which the addressed envelops are. delivered is mounted to slide up and down upon the two fixed guide bars 127. lt has projecting to the right therefrom two bracket arms 31 each of which is connected to the lower end of two upwardly extended bars 32 which are located adjacent to the front and rear sides of the envelop hopper; and are provided with a plurality of inclined notches 33.

There is a follower provided for resting upon a pack of envelops in the hopper l0. This follower is fixed to a bar 36 which entends forward and backward horizontally to the right of the, hopper, and it has two arms 37 which extend to the left, and each arm has an outwardly7 projecting pin 38. Tvl/ihen a. stack of envelope are put into the hopper this follower is placed upon the top of the stack and then the two vertical bars are hung upon these outwardly projecting pins 33. The particular notch 33 in the said bars which is to engage with these studs depend of course upon the height of the pile of envelops, because these arms support the platform 30 and this platform should be in a position that the envelops will go onto 1t nicely as they are dischargedfrom the inclined plates. rTherefore, regardless of how high a stack of envelops is put in hopper 10j the platform 30 being adjusted into proper position at the beginning of the operation of printing` this stack of envelops will move (ovp just as fast as the height of the pile of envelops in hopper 10 is lessened, so that always thc top envelop on the platform 30 will be in proper relation to receive the envelop which is being delivered from the inclined plates.

There is a three-sided shield 139 which embraces the platform on the front, rear and left sides thereof, and this serves to keep any of the envelope from falling off of the platform. This shield which is made of two independentI angle irons is secured to four rods, 131, 132, two of which, 131, are pivotally hung at their upper ends from the ll-shaped bar 122. The other two rods 132 have spring clips at their upper ends for engagement with said bar, and serve to lock said shield in operative position. Obviously. when the hopper members are moved to right or left to adapt the hopper for envelops of different sizes, the shield will be correspondingly adjusted with respect to the platform. VV hen it is desired to remove a stack of addressed envelops from platform 30, one pulls the rods 132 loose from the bar, and swings the shield to the left out of the way.

Unless the envelope together' have a width greater than one half the circumference of the platen 50, two envelope will. be withdrawn from hopper 10 at each revolution of the platen. The feed lugs on the address plate feeding belts are so positioned that they will feed two address plates toward the printing position. during each revolution of. said platen and in such wise as to meetthe two envelops.

However, if the width of the envelop is greater than one half of the circumference of the platen roll, then only one envelop will be withdrawn from the hopper during each revolution of said platen, because when, say, (referring to Fig. 4l) the right end of two feed arms as shown in this gure are engaging one of these wide envelops, and carrying it around, the feed lingers at the other end of these arms will go beneath the same envelop instead of engaging the flap of the next envelop above it.

Therefore, while only one envelop is being fed during each revolution of the platen it is desirable to have only one printing plate removed from the plate hopper during a revolution of the platen. To effect this result automatically, there are two side frame members 140, which are hung upon the driving shaft 70, and extend to the right therefrom; and in their rear ends is mounted the shaft in which the two rivht hand belt sprockets 63 are fixed. The frame which carries the ink holding, ink distributing, and inking rolls is connected with these two side frame members by links 94e which are adjustable in length, so that whichev r position this frame may occupy the inking rollers will be in proper working relation to the feed belts. The several belt supporting rollers 64, are mounted on this rocking frame and so is the pressure roller 62 beneath the inking roll.

rlhe right end of this frame is under the influence of a spring 66 tending to swing it up as far as it can go, that is to say, until further upward movement is prevented by the engagement of said side frame members with certain fixed stops, lil-1. Vilhen the frame is in this position the belts are in position to withdraw the bottom plate from the hopper whenever a feeding lug enters' said hopper. Mounted on the right end of this swinging frame above the sprockets is a shaft 14:2 on which is cam 1413, and to which a driving sprocket 144; is fixed. A

sprocket belt 146 transmits the rotary motion to the shaft from a sprocket 147 fixed to the driving shaft 70, the latter sprocket being one half the diameter of sprocket 144,

- But by an adjusting screw 149 this frame may be rocked to a position such that the cam will engage said roll 153. Therefore,

during each rotation of said cam shaft, the

entire frame will be rocked down in opposition to the spring 66; and when the frame is down, the belts 60 will be so depressed that .the lugs 61 thereon will pass through the plate hopper but will .not strike the lowest' plate. Before the next feed lue, comes along the rotation of the cam will permitl the spring- 66 to swingI the frame upward, to the position shown such that the lugs 61 will engage an address plate. Therefore alternate feeding lugs will engage and withdraw an address plate, while the intermediate lugs will pass beneath and out of Contact with the lowest address plate. l

The improvements shown in the drawings, and herein described relating to the mechanism for feeding envelops. has been made the subject matter of a divisional application No. 202.094, filed Nov. 15, 1917.

Having described my invention, I claim l. In an address printing machine, the combination of an address plate hopper, a plate feeding belt having on its outer surface a plurality of equally spaced plate feeding lugs, said belt being arranged in such wise that its upper legpasses through the lower end of the hopper and in such position that normally each lug will engage the lowest address plate and carry it out of said hopper and onward to the printing position, means to drive said belt, and means acting automatically to depress and raise the upper leg of said belt and thereby to cause alternate feed lugs to pass below and out of contact with the address plates and to cause the intermediate lugs to engage with said address plates.

2. In an address printing machine, the combination of an envelop hopper, an adjacently placed rotatable platen, a coperating pressure roll, means, rotatable in unison with said platen to withdraw envelops singly from said hopper and carry them between said platen and pressure roll, an address plate hopper, a plate feeding belt passing through the lower end of said hopper and carrying a plurality of lugs adapted to engage the lowest address plate in said hopper and to carry it out of the hopper,-

which belt passes from said hopper between the platen and pressure roll, means acting automatically to raise and lower that end of said feed belt which passes through the lower end of said hopper to alternately allow said lugs to engage the lowest address plate or to pass below said plate without engaging therewith.

3. In an address printing machine, the combination of an envelop hopper, an ad- -jacently placed rotatable platen, a coperating pressure roll, means rotatable in unison with saidplaten, to withdraw envelope singly from said hopper and carry them between said platen and pressure roll, an address plate hopper, a feed belt actuating sprocket which is fixed to and rotatable with said pressure roll, a swinging frame which is pivotally supported on an axis which is coincident with the laxis of said sprocket 'l and which extends past said plate hopper, a sprocket rotatably mounted in the free end of saidl swinging frame, a feed belt which runs over said sprockets and passes through the lower end of the hopper and has fixed to it a plurality of plate-engaging lugs, and means to rock said frame up or down whereby said lugs will or will not engage the lowest address plate in said hopper.

4. In an address printing machine, the combination of an envelop hopper, an adjacently placed rotatable platen, a coperating pressure roll, means rotatable in unison with said platen to withdraw envelops singly from said hopper and carry them between said platen and pressure roll, an adsprocket which is fixed to and rotatable with said pressure roll, a frame which is pivotally supported on an axis which is coincident with the axis of said sprocket and which extends past said plate hopper, a sprocket rotatably mounted in the free end of said swinging frame, a feed belt which runs over said sprockets and passes through the lowerv end of the hopper and has fixed to it a plurality of plate-engaging lugs, and means to automatically rock the free end of said frame up and down to cause alternate lugs on said feed belt to engage or pass below the lowest plate in said hopper.

5. In an address printing machine, the combination of an envelop hopper, an adiacently placed rotatable platen, a coperating pressure roll, means rotatable in unison with said platen to withdraw envelops singly from said hopper and carry them between'said platen and pressure roll, an address plate hopper, a feed belt actuating sprocket which is xed to and rotatable with said pressure roll, a frame which is pivotally supported on an axis which is coincident with the axis of said sprocket and which extends past said plate hopper, a sprocket rotatably moimted in the free end of said swinging traine, a feed belt which runs o ver said sprockets and passes through the lower end of the hopper and has fixed to it a plurality ot plate engaging lugs, and means to rock said frame up or down whereby said lugs will or will not engage the lowest address plate in said hopper, a pivoted vtrame carrying a plate inking roller, and connections between the two pivoted frames.

6. In an address printing machine, an address plate hopper having` a vertical slot in its front and rear walls extending from top to bottom and having another vertical slot in one of its side walls, a bottomless plate drawer formed without ends and having on each side an external longitudinal rib adapt ed to lit respectively in the slots in the front and rear walls of said hopper whereby said drawer is removably supported within said machine, an arm extending across one open end of said drawer to prevent the plates troni falling out oi the same when the dijawer is held with that end down, a flat spring connecting said arm with said drawer and disposed to enter the vertical slot in the side wall of the hopper when the arm connected with said liat spring is with- C 'awn from the drawer, and means for withdrawing the address plates singly from said hopper and delivering them into the unobstructed open end of said drawer.

i". In an address printing machine, an ad- Leashes dress plate hopper having a vertical groove in its front and rear walls extending troni top to bottom and having another groove in one of its side walls, a bottoinless plate drawer formed without ends and having on each side an external. longitudinal rib adapted to enter and inove in one of the grooves in the front and rear walls of the hopper whereby said drawer is removably supported within said machine, an arin extending` across one open end of said drawer to prevent the plates 'from falling out of the saine when the drawer is held with that end down, a iiat spring connecting said arin with said drawer and adapted to enter and move in the slot in the side wall ot the hopper when the arrn carried by said flat spring is withdrawn from the hopper, and means for withdrawing the address plates singly from said hopper and delivering thein into the unobstructed open end of said drawer,- said plates having in each end a notch, and the drawer having on each side an internal longitudinally extended rib adapted to enter a notch in the end of a plate.

In testimony whereof, hereunto atlix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

CLIFTN CHISHOLM. Witnessesz E. L. THUnsToN, L. I. PORTER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained ior five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patente. Washington, ID. C. 

